Kelly Marie Urquhart

With sadness, we announce that Kelly Marie Urquhart passed away suddenly on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at Portage General Hospital at the age of 59 years.

Kelly was born in Clinton, Ontario, in 1964, the daughter of Larry and Anita Urquhart, and sister of Kim and Laura. Kelly had many fond memories of playing games with her sisters.  

In 1980, she moved into a group home, and then to the MDC in 1983, where she was loved by all who met her. She even “adopted” the triplets of one of the staff members, calling them her kids and writing stories about them. In 2015, supported by Visions of Independence, she moved into the community, where she met many of her closest friends.

Kelly is predeceased by her grandparents on both sides and many aunts and uncles, including her Uncle Ronnie and her Aunt Cecilia, who both recently passed away.

Left to treasure her memory are her parents Larry and Anita Urquhart, sisters Kim Riley (Ron) and Laura Forde (Scott), as well as nieces and nephews Lindsey, Nikki, Mitchel (Angela), Nathan, Hudson, Elke, and Lennox. She is lovingly remembered by her roommates, Rich, Donna, and Teresa, and friends Matthew, Denis, Debbie, Wendy, Mary, Jocelyn, and Tola. She will also be greatly missed by support staff who were lucky enough to work with her over the years, including Josie, Juvie, Norberto, Mona, Ami, and Davinder, and the staff from the MDC.

Kelly possessed an innate friendliness that endeared her to everyone she met. Her joy in meeting new people and experiencing new places was infectious, and with her frankness and sense of humour, she brought laughter to every conversation. She had an impeccable sense of fashion, always able to feel out the perfect outfit for every occasion. Her bold, independent spirit and unwavering determination empowered her to make her own choices and advocate for herself, including her insistence on rocking a buzz cut when others tried to talk her out of it! She was also incredibly organized and paid attention to small details; if you were going to the store, she had already memorized what was in the fridge and could make you a list of what was missing!

Kelly found joy in her many hobbies, from baking—especially chocolate cake—to gardening with Tola and fishing at Delta Beach on camping trips. She loved jigsaw puzzles and often spoke to her sisters about which puzzle they were working on. She also collected stuffed animals, with her favourite unicorn holding a special place in her collection. Before she lost her vision, she wrote stories and was known for her beautiful handwriting.

She made many friends in her life, we will miss you Kelly RIP. 

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on April 6, 2024 at McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel.  The service will be livestreamed, to register and view please click on the link below. 

A tree will be planted in memory and cared for by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel.  www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com